A Time of Peace
by Winterluna
Summary: Preparing to enter war, the pod squad goes through major changes. Max/Liz, Michael/Maria, Alex/Isabel and maybe some Jesse/Isabel pairings are evident.
1. Chapter 1

Liz Parker walked quickly to her own room in Boston, Massachusetts. Max would be home soon, and she just wanted to collapse into his arms. She dropped her things off in the hall closet before she sank gratefully into the couch. She had had a long day, and she was too exhausted to do anything, much less cook a simple snack.

She didn't have to wait long for Max's return. He came in soon, and he wanted to sit on the couch after a long day. They sat there for a while contemplating in deep thought about their days when Max finally said:

"What's for dinner, Liz?"

"I don't know," Liz answered. "I'm too tired to cook. You can pick the place."

"I have an idea, but you have to promise to do exactly as I say." Max turned his head to face her, and she found the ear-to-ear grin on his face. She couldn't deny that she was suspicious of how much money they would spend that one night. But it's not like it would matter much, as Liz made a lot of money working at the university for molecular biological research.

"Fine," Liz huffed mockingly, but smiling all the same.

Max quickly grabbed her hand and dragged her to the door, but as he undid the lock, the phone rang. They both sighed, and Max left to go get it while Liz ran quickly upstairs to change her appearance.

She tore into her closet and walked around in it several times before picking a flowing red dress that accentuated her hair. She slipped her feet into a pair of high-heels that matched her dress before running over to her vanity table and quickly putting on a soft layer of makeup. She heard the phone hang up, and bolted back into her closet to get a wristlet. She heard Max's three calls, and now she was hearing his footfalls on the stairs. She took a quick peek into her mirror on the vanity table before standing in the doorway to find an open-mouthed Max.

"You…look…" was all Max was able to get out before Liz pulled him into a kiss and pulling away just as spontaneously as the approach.

"Thanks," she giggled before wrapping her arm around his arm and motioning the way.

They walked like that to the car, and Max opened her door before climbing into the other side. After a fifteen minute conversation between the two, Max told her to close her eyes. They resumed their conversation through the car ride.

Liz felt the car engine turn off, and felt for the door handle but heard Max retaliate. She sat back against the seat waiting to find where Max had taken them. He opened her door and guided her out. He stood behind her and covered her eyes. He led her to a spectacular view of the restaurant before removing his hands and allowing her to view the place.

"Oh, Max," she breathed only loud enough for him to hear. He eagerly clasped her hand and led her inside.

"Party of two, please," Max said, sneaking a glance at his wife beside him.

"Right this way," the hostess answered, gesturing to a hall. They followed her down the hall and into an enclosed booth where they sat across from each other. They were given menus and the specials of the day.


	2. Chapter 2

Liz studied the worried look on Max's face after she finished eating her dinner.

"Please tell me what's wrong, Max," Liz pleaded for the hundredth time.

"Fine," Max said a little forcefully, setting his fork down and looking Liz straight in the eye. He calmed down in seeing her face of slight fear. "Isabel called. People know who and where we are. The bad people. Valenti is trying everything to keep them away. Kyle told Valenti in case of an emergency. I have to stay hidden, but you have to lead them in the wrong direction. You have to. You must do this for me. After dinner, we have to meet with Isabel and Jesse at their house. I don't know about the others's whereabouts. Isabel is trying to locate them."

Max finished his dinner quickly while Liz paid, and they headed out of the restaurant and Liz watched for alien hunters while Max drove. They found none on the relatively short drive to Isabel's.

Isabel ushered them inside before hugging each of them in return.

She quickly made tea using alien technique and gave one each to Max and Liz. "I said before that we can leave the non-aliens behind. But I went into an official's mind in sleep and found that Liz, Maria, Jesse, and Kyle are on the list. Valenti isn't but we need for him to remain off the list. Another name appeared on the list, too." She paused; making sure tears weren't going to fill her eyes. "Alex Whitman."

"Why would he be on the list?" Max asked, gazing softly at Isabel and Jesse alternatively.

"It's some sort of government agency. One that would know everything about deaths and such. The only way that he could possibly be on that list is if he's still alive."

"Wait a minute," Liz cut in before Max could speak. "How do alien deaths work?"

"Just like human deaths." Isabel answered. "Why would you ask?"

"If alien deaths worked differently, then maybe Alex could still be alive. Tess did it, and killed herself. Could that have anything to do with that?"

"Liz, it's not possible," Max answered.

"Then how did he appear on the list?" Liz and Isabel asked simultaneously.

"I think they made a mistake," Max answered.

"The date was yesterday, Max. This was the FBI. They were in Roswell secretly around the time of Alex's death, right?" Isabel had started pacing.

"Yes."

"So, if they knew, how could his name appear on the list?" Isabel had looked up at Max and kept staring at him, but she didn't stop pacing.

"I don't know. Isabel, I know you are still getting over his death. We all are. But there isn't a way that he could still be alive. You are human. You are having wishful thinking."

"Max. Please just hear me. Alex was on that list, and I know it. It was a new list, and he was on there. They would have known. Alex has to be alive."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait," Jesse said finally. "Who _is_ Alex?"

"He-he" Isabel stammered. "I was dating him when he died. I still haven't forgiven Tess for it. I don't know if I ever will, either."

"Wait. Tess killed Alex. As in the Tess that destroyed the base a couple years ago?" Jesse seemed woozy.

"Yes, the same one." Isabel had stopped pacing momentarily to answer Jesse's questions, but she resumed when silence started.

Shortly after Liz had finished her tea and Isabel had given her a refill, there was knock on the door. Jesse got it, allowing his wife's pacing to continue. Michael and Maria appeared with Kyle in tow. Kyle was panting; he had been trying to get to the door before it closed.

"Good. We're all here." Isabel said, sitting down on the couch finally.

"What's the meeting about?" Michael asked nonplussed, fiddled with Maria's hair but facing Isabel.

"We're on a list." Isabel seemed quieter than when she had been pacing. Her confidence seemed to have come from pacing.

"What list?"

"Torture before extermination," Max answered, staring at the floor.

"I see now." Michael seemed sarcastic, but no one laughed or even smiled. "Did Liz dream again by touching people?"

"No." Isabel couldn't seem to be able to face him. "I went into their dreams and found our names on the list. There was one that didn't fit."

"Which one?" Kyle, Michael, and Maria asked at once. Maria had by now been so intrigued by her hands that she didn't realize the hair-fiddling until now. She swatted Michael's hand away and stood up to pace.

"Alex Whitman." Isabel didn't answer this time. It was Liz.

Michael's eyes had flown from Maria in thought to Liz in pure wonder. "How old was the list?" he asked, turning to Isabel.

"It was yesterday's date." Isabel sensed his wonder.

"When did you see this image?"

"Two nights ago. I think the guy was dreaming about the list he would sign tomorrow."

"Guy? Which guy?" Kyle asked.

"I don't know. I don't even know how I got the image. The only pictures around me were of me and Jesse, and I wasn't touching any of them. There isn't a possible way that I could have entered his thoughts, but I did."

"You were just dreaming, then." Michael relaxed, but Liz spoke and tensed up.

"Was it fragmented and kind of blurry?" she asked. She took a sip of her tea eagerly.

Isabel thought for a second and looked thoughtfully at Liz. "Yes."

"You had a premonition," Liz breathed, finally slumping against the pillows and Max's arm.

"So it's true, then," Jesse said quietly, more as a remark than a question.

"How can we tell?" Michael asked, his voice raised.

"It happened at graduation, remember?" Maria asked Michael in a rude tone, thought not trying to be so. "Liz saw it, and so it happened. We just have to trust Isabel right now." Maria stopped pacing and sat next to Liz. Micheal looked hurt, but he didn't say anything.

Michael stayed silenced, but he was, as usual, thinking that he was right.

Max took a deep breath and said, "We have to just find out why Alex is on that list and deal with the list. Isabel, do have any idea who it is who made that list?"

"I have a feeling like it's not the Special Unit. It's something that isn't secret, but yet is in a way. Like they have real families who think they work in different departments with the FBI, but yet they are in one single group."


	3. Chapter 3

Isabel began pacing again then remembered that she hadn't offered anyone else any tea. Only Maria gave an affirmative, and Isabel did it the special way again. Maria took it in her shaking hands and let the steam warm her somehow shivering body. She wasn't cold, but she was shivering nonetheless.

Isabel's pacing continued until she had a thought. Vilandra had told her something privately about the way that aliens die and how they can possible be resurrected. She had been told that if even a human dies at the hands of an alien, they can be resurrected if the killer died willingly. She had no idea if Tess really wanted to die, but she certainly did it willingly.

If this thought was true, then Alex would have returned to Antar and brought back from the dead. He would have truly been dead, but after Tess's death he could go to Antar and the aliens there could have resurrected him.

Yes, this was exactly what could happen if Alex was still on the list. Which meant that if he was found, he could have been brought back into Roswell alive and full. But how? Would he just be a reincarnation? Or would he appear to be seventeen or twenty-five? He would have to be seventeen unless they could alter time.

On her well-worn path facing the kitchen, she stopped pacing and entered the kitchen. She remembered Valenti's phone number somehow and dialed it.

"Roswell Sheriff Office," came Valenti's voice.

"Sheriff, it's me," Isabel said, her hand shaking.

"Who's me?"

"Isabel Evans. I need you to do me a favor. Have there been any rumors of an Alex Whitman flying around?"

She heard a sigh through the phone before it got set down and heard a door close. Obviously he was not alone at the office. "No. Why would you ask that? Alex is dead."

"There might be a way that he came…came… back from the…the dead." Isabel started pacing around the kitchen again.

"How's that possible?" There was no betrayal of impatience, but she could sense it.

"I think when Tess died willingly Alex was taken to Antar for resurrection. He might have then been sent back to Earth in hopes that he would find me."

"I see." Valenti's voice seemed like he was lying.

"If you have any word on him, please let me know." Isabel told him her phone number, address and put the phone back into its slot. She started walking when she found that Max, Liz, Michael, Maria, Kyle, and Jesse had appeared at the entryway of the kitchen.

She stopped abruptly, and relaxed.

They all gave her meaningful looks saying that she should explain. She ceded, and then left for her room, offering the others to rest of them.

It was early morning by now, so they each left and claimed rooms.

They waited there, only returning home to get clothes and perishable food so that it wouldn't spoil at their place. For four days, the phone didn't ring, increasing tension every passing day.

Isabel got woken up at three in the morning on the fourth day to find that Alex had returned, and he was still seven years older than when he died.

"I'll send him right to Boston. I already have the flight booked, so nothing to worry about." The only way that Valenti could really talk was to sit at his desk, but they heard movements. Isabel figured that it was Alex.

Max, Isabel, and Michael left for the airport and returned shortly afterward with groceries and Alex.

The entire day was spent learning about Alex's time on Antar. He had spent several years relearning about his life; who he was, and his experiences. Liz and Maria had curled up to him as though that he hadn't spent almost seven years in grief of losing Isabel.

Isabel didn't seem so interested in seeing him, but Alex knew why. She had gotten married, and it was now a love triangle. But Isabel was glad to see him, and Jesse didn't get in their way of longing. He knew the story entirely now, and he knew it was going to be an emotional rollercoaster ride for all three of them. Yet he handled it well.

Kyle agreed to sleep on the couch, and he seemed only too pleased to do it. Alex slept in the bed that Kyle had slept in. He noted how nice it was to be able to sleep again.

Alex knew that he and Isabel would not be able to start a relationship again. It made for tense moments every time they saw each other. But it did feel so good to be alive. Being with all of his friends felt normal; felt as though he had never died. When Liz and Maria had told him their fair share, he was pleased to know about everything that had happened while he was dead.

He also knew there was a war coming, and it was coming soon. He was told that he was on that list. He was another part of the group again, something that was both good and bad.


	4. Chapter 4

"What?" Liz queried. "When did this happen?"

"A few days ago," Maria responded, slightly embarrassed by her statement.

"How will you tell the others?" _Does she ever stop asking questions?_ Maria asked herself.

"Could you?" The words were weak, and both of them knew it.

"Fine, but you have to tell him yourself. No complaining. I'll tell the others when you have told him."

"Deal. I'm hungry," Maria complained for the umpteenth time.

"I hear that's common for someone of your…illness." Liz jerked her eyes upward before saying the latter word, and Maria got the hint: someone was there.

"What does she have?" Isabel's voice inquired. "Max might be able to heal it."

"I don't think so," Liz stated nonchalantly.

"What do you mean?"

"I can't tell you that yet," Liz said, glancing swiftly at Maria, who was looking around the kitchen for some appetizing food.

"Yet? What kind of secret does she have?" Isabel searched each of their guilty faces, and realized what the problem was. "How on earth are we going to deal with that?"

"Please don't tell any of the others until the time is right," Maria begged.

"Fine. I'll just keep every secret I've ever been told." Isabel was more worried than angry, and she hid both with her degrading sarcasm.

"Here he comes," Liz hissed pointing in the direction of the kitchen door. She left when he came in, leaving Maria in a defeated and very cross mood.

"Is there something going on I don't know about?" Michael asked, getting into the refrigerator and pulling out the carton of milk. He drank straight from the carton, much to Maria's disgust.

"There's a problem." Maria silently coerced him into the living room and onto the couch.

"There always is. Specifically?"

"Remember when we were celebrating your promotion to general manager?"

"Clearly. What about it?"

"Do you remember what happened that night?"

"Get to the point."

"She's pregnant." Isabel's voice came from the doorway. "Sorry, I only wanted to get some water. I didn't mean to interrupt." Isabel gave an arrogant but sympathetic smile.

Michael looked between the two frozen figures of Maria and Isabel to make sure it wasn't true. "Is she right?"

"Yes." Maria only formed her mouth around the words; she never made a sound. Maria could sense that he was thinking of many questions that he would never ask due to his character. He stood up and paced angrily, and Isabel slipped past the pair to get her water and go back to her room.

"What are we going to do?"

"I don't know. We'll figure something out when I get a little farther along.

"You won't be able to help us fight. We will need all the help we can get, too."

"So, it will just be the seven of us, because we don't know who will keep a secret. And I might be able to help for the first few weeks or months, depending on how I feel."

"If you're carrying my child, I don't want you in harm's way. Please, just be surveillance or something out of the way."

"Now, there's a good idea of how I can help."

"There is another concern, though."

"What?"

"There's a small chance it could be part alien. If it is, it might hurt you. The book said that an alien baby from a human could hurt, but not kill, the human. You would have a lot of pain. I don't want you to go through that."

"Thanks for your concern. I really want to have this baby. Like you said, you are aliens and can manipulate molecular structures. Max could decrease the pain slightly before allowing me to wake up again."

"We don't want to have to put this on him. It's our problem. Sure, he needs to know about it, but we can't rely on him for every little thing we do."

"On the subject of your promotion, what is your excuse for not being at work today?"

"I'm sick, of course. That's not even close to my worries about what is going to happen."

"We'll take this a moment at a time, Michael. There's no need for immediate worry. Besides, there are three of you who are aliens, and six of you who are willing to die to keep the secret. Oh, yeah, and I'm fully willing to make sure nothing goes wrong."

"I wish that I have your vitality."

-

"Everyone, I have an announcement," Liz said at the communal lunch table. "Maria's pregnant."

"So that's why she's not eating lunch with us today," Alex remarked.

"In a way," Michael grunted.

"I figured you wouldn't be here if it was your child. And it probably is," Jesse joked.

"It's not funny," Max stated. "There is a possibility it could be part alien, and it will hurt her if it is. We have to fight as soon as we can. We will need all the help we can get. I can also heal her if the pain becomes unbearable."

"We'll see when we get there, Maxwell," Michael interrupted. "We might not need the mighty King's help."

"Okay, who wants dessert," Isabel and Liz offered simultaneously. A few murmurs of positives could be heard. Liz headed for the ice cream while Isabel went for the cake she had made the previous night and the Tabasco sauce. Confirmations of orders were taken before Liz doled out the ice cream and Isabel cut the cake.

Plates were passed around to a silent lunch table, and everyone was interested in their own plate. First done, Liz offered quietly to take lunch to Maria, and she took a sandwich and a slice of cake to her room, but she took two spoons and an ice cream bucket with her.

"They know," Liz told Maria as she offered her the sandwich.

"Did Jesse joke again?" Maria started eating her sandwich rapidly.

"Yes, but Max stood up for you and Michael. Max offered his help to you."

"Next time you see him tell him that I will come to him to help heal me," Maria proclaimed. "Just don't tell Michael and tell Max not to tell Michael, too."

"I will, but you will have to tell Michael the truth eventually."

"You make it sound so cliché, Liz. It's amazingly weird. We all have to keep secrets, but it seems that there are smaller secrets that can't be told. It's all so confusing."

"I know, but some things should not be expressed out in the mutual air."

"Like what?"

"I don't know."

"Liz, we should trust each other enough to talk to one another without setting up walls. I can understand Jesse being a little bit out of the way, but that's because he's only been on the scene for less than a year. For heaven's sake, we need to make sure that everyone knows what's happening so that we can adapt to that without impeding on anyone's feelings."

"Maybe I should have started on the ice cream earlier."

"You brought ice cream?"

"For us to share while talking about things."

"What do you want to talk about?"

"Do you trust Michael completely?"

"He breaks my heart, but he has kept every one of my secrets. Well, you know them, too, I guess."

"Do you really want to have this baby with all of your heart?"

"Yes, I really do. Michael might die out there, and I want to be able to have some memory of him. This sounds really corny."

"But it comes from you, so it doesn't have to be."

"Thanks. How's Alex?"

"Oh, he took the news just as well as everyone else who didn't already know. He looked really concerned about something, though."

"What?"


	5. Chapter 5

"He seemed weary of Jesse; like he didn't trust him," Liz answered after several silent bites of ice cream.

"That's understandable. After all, he did die just when Isabel revealed she loved him," Maria said, her words muffled by the ice cream. "Jesse doesn't know the entire story of her past love life. Alex came back after things had changed greatly. All of us changed after his death, Liz. He had no idea how Isabel would have changed after two years. Liz, he's confused, and we're the only ones he can trust anymore."

"You're right. He can't trust the aliens, but I am one. Kyle should go through the changes sometime soon, and I will have to reveal that I went through the same thing. That is unless someone else does the honors for me. I just hope that he copes better than most would."

"Yes. It's breaking his heart to be back and find Isabel married to someone else. I sort of understand, but it was less of an impact for me." At Liz's blank look, Maria added, "Courtney the Skin. God, was she a piece of work."

"So you told me about a hundred times. Well, Michael's all yours as we're in hiding."

"I know. Don't tell him this, but everyone else will be second best to him."

"That's exactly what I told Future Max. It was safe because the future had changed, so nobody else would know. Time travel is confusing. Apparently, they also used the Granilith. But wouldn't it have been sent to Antar by then?"

"The future changed. Perhaps not." Maria scooped out the last of the ice cream and put her spoon in the carton.

"I don't think so. It said that Tess left in it, so it would be gone anyway. Oh, well, we don't want to dwell on Tess, do we?"

"That's for sure. Do we have anymore ice cream? I'm starving."

"Maria, we don't know for how long this will continue. Jesse might be fired at any time. We certainly can't go back home."

"They haven't come for us yet."

"We don't know when." Liz got an idea, and motioned Maria to follow her. They stumbled down the stairs quite noisily and entered the kitchen where conversation had started again, though tensely. "We have to get out of here. We need to go back on the run, maybe for a little while," Liz announced to the other people. "The feds will know that we will be using one of our places as our safe house, so they will look at each one. We need to get a few items and hit the road again."

"I can convert my car to a van, and all of us can get out of here," Isabel offered. "This time, I mean all of us." Isabel looked at her husband.

"We'll need his money to help us get along, assuming he doesn't mind," Max said, standing up and moving towards Liz.

"Not if it's for Isabel. Just don't take it for granted."

"We'll give you the address and you can send us the money. Hopefully, it won't be traceable. We'll establish a safe house and send you letter saying where we are. After that, we will only tell you where we are when we move. We can't risk you getting too many letters from one address."

"What will your name be?" Jesse asked, rubbing his wife's back. Alex looked jealous and superfluous, but didn't say anything.

"Janey Carson. Yours will be John Carson. We will pretend to be two lovers who are separated due to work conditions. You will be a rich lawyer sending us care money. Keep your messages coded and lengthy. We need to pretend to be like we are deeply in love and must divulge everything. The lengthier, the better. Don't send us more than we need. We should be able to live off of 500 dollars a month."

"I'll send you every dollar I can spare." Jesse said with a hint of haughtiness in his voice. "I suppose Mr. Whitman will be with you?"

"Yes," Isabel said. "For me, we need to make sure that he stays as safe as I do."

"Fine, but I will have a word with him," Jesse grunted. "Come with me to the living room, Mr. Whitman."

The others stayed in the kitchen uncomfortably shifting from one position to the next, perfectly able to hear the conversation in the adjacent room.

"Do not ever lay a hand on Isabel unless you are saving her life, do you understand me?" Jesse asked with a vindictive tone.

"Mr. Ramirez, she was once my girlfriend, too. I understand what she's going through. She will make her choice. I respect her enough to accept whatever she decides. If she wants me for comfort, I will oblige. I'm sure you see that in my eyes."

"No, I see jealousy. You will keep off of her." Jesse was turned the other way as to avoid looking into his eyes at all costs.

"I waited a year for her, and then she mourned for an entire summer after my death. That sounds weird. Anyway, Jesse, I will respect whatever she decides. I'm sure you understand that. You have no idea what she has been going since my return. Please understand that for your wife." Alex left for his room in anger, and Isabel immediately burst from the kitchen.

"Jesse, he's right. He will respect what I decide. I never stopped loving him, even after he was dead. He helped me move on from him, and he was the one that help to put me in your arms. I would pay him a little more respect for that. Besides, I know who I love more. But I won't tell anybody that."

With finality, Isabel turned on her heel and strode into her bedroom and closed the door quietly.

"That's why you don't want to mess with her feelings," Liz warned. "She will be very protective of Alex. Whenever somebody mentions something bad about him, she will argue with you. I called that calm for her when she's in that type of mood." Jesse gave her a warning look before Liz added, "I've known her longer than you have. Alex would have said that same thing about Isabel to you."

"Thanks for the tip, but I do know my wife."

"Of course you do! You married her before even knowing she was an alien. Not like that makes any difference." Liz was angry at him for his behavior towards Alex, too, and was in a defensive mood. "If you want, we can leave her here to die. We could also leave Alex. Then you would get your wish."

"What is everyone's problem with me today?" Jesse seemed hurt by now, which only increased his anger.

"It's apparent that you don't like Alex. You might even be jealous. You have no idea how close he was to all of us. It would be like losing Michael or Kyle. They may not run the show or share their feelings with me, but their death would torment me, too. Isabel loved Alex more than she loved herself. But, she was being protective so he wouldn't get hurt. When she let him in, he died shortly thereafter. Jesse, it was the hardest thing she had to go through. She almost never made it out of it. I'm sure you would feel the same way if Isabel died.

"We are one big family here. We are all connected, which puts us all on the same FBI lists. We are running because the government thinks we are lab rats because some of us are aliens or are connected with aliens.. With your help, Jesse, we can pull out of this in time for Maria's child to turn three because you weren't on that list. The feds are the enemy, and they have stealth, but they do not see the truth of this situation. They think we are all a danger to the public because of who we are. In their eyes, we need to be exterminated. Isabel is asking you to do this so Alex won't be taken from her again, and for the safety of all of us.

"If jealousy is in your way, you better get some divorce papers signed. Both you and Alex are in the family, and you need to accept that. I know Alex already has. Isabel is waiting for you to help her for her safety. If you don't, then you are signing her execution papers." Liz left for the stairs without saying another word. She found Max (who had snuck past them during Liz's tirade) on the bed, and climbed onto it and fell asleep crying into his comforting arms. He didn't say a word until she had fallen asleep. The few words he spoke were: "Help all of us be safe and civil."


	6. Chapter 6

"Isabel?" Maria found her in the large master bathroom crying. "I'm so sorry about the feud. I sort of understand what you are going through."

"How would you?" Isabel's voice cracked several times during the three words.

"Max and Liz push each other away so much, and I intentionally put myself in there to stop everyone feeling their anger. But this is a feud of two men, not of what pros and cons you get form creating or destroying a relationship. You will soon have to make a decision. A little bit of advice, your heart is really what you want to do, your brain gives you the sensible side, but you won't be happy."

"But I love them both equally. I can't make a decision."

"If you want to go with your brain, stay with Jesse. He has the money and loves you to no end. Your heart would say Alex. He doesn't have much money, but he comforts you when you ask and he doesn't work all the time. He only focuses on comforting you. Jesse thinks about other things a lot of the time. Don't ask me how I know about Jesse."

"It worries me."

"You won't have to worry about it. I learned it completely legally without making him cheat on me. Just worry about the FBI right now. I also make sure nobody tries to help you make the decision unless you want me to."

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Isabel's tears were receding with the unmentionable yet friendly comfort.

"We can't have someone moping while we are trying to keep the FBI at bay. Everyone needs to be comfortable in their skin. We won't make it if everyone is not fully focused. You're also a friend. Friends worry about each other."

"I'll keep that in mind. I think your boyfriend is almost too many friends. But thank you for the offer."

"Which offer?"

"Now you're pushing it. Go."

Maria left without another word and extremely hurt feelings. She didn't want to always go running to Liz or Michael, but she did. Liz was busy planning with Max. Michael was also looking very bored in the living room; he was staring into his coffee cup. "Hey, can I talk to you?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm busy contemplating my coffee." It was a crude joke, but his tone suggested he didn't mind. "Isabel?"

"Yes. I can't get to her feelings. She shuts me out all the time. I'm worried about her."

"Isabel has a decision to make. It won't be easy for her. Only Max might be able to comfort her, and that's a maybe. He's the only one that truly knows her. Well, maybe Alex does, but he's part of the feud. That doesn't help."

"What about Jesse?" Maria put her hand in Michael's and leaned against him.

"For starters, he was the one that married her without knowing she was an alien. He blindly entered a relationship without seeing her closely. He never saw the signs. He doesn't believe like Alex eventually did when he died. After he learned that, a small part of his trust was lost forever. Alex never lost faith."

"Alex also had our support through it all. Liz and I helped him through that nightmare."

"Because you are just so supportive." Michael was becoming cold at the entire idea of their departure with someone being protective of their feelings, causing their head to malfunction due to too many feelings at once.

"Nice sarcasm. Anyway, Isabel can take care of herself. She is a wife that doesn't work."

"She won't be married safely for long if she chooses Alex."

"Personally, I hope she chooses Alex."

"Jesse only supports us because Isabel is so close to all of us. If it wasn't for Isabel, he might have already told our secret. We are very lucky he hasn't told. You're right; Alex is the better choice. It is possible, though, that Jesse might make it public if Isabel doesn't choose him."

"I hate drama. Just when one thing ends, a new one starts. Especially with you and me. I know you are trying to work on it, though. I am, too. Believe me, no one can come between us."

"What about Billy?"

"What about him? He's just a friend. We did share a kiss, but I told him that I was dating someone I loved so much."

"So you say."

"Can we just forget about this and get back to the subject at hand? We are leaving early tomorrow, and Isabel has to say goodbye to Jesse. I don't know if she can handle it. Jesse might coldly respond to it, especially now that Alex is going."

"Wait a minute. I thought Jesse was on the list."

"Liz told me that he was only put on the list because of a slight indication. The next day, he was taken off the list. That's part of the reason why we have to leave: If they see Jesse with any one of us, he will be hidden, too."

"How will we pay for a baby?"

"We'll get around to that when we can. Isabel said that we will either lie or just not tell him what the money is being used for. For example, if we need something for Alex, we don't have to tell him that we used it on him. We can just say that Isabel went to the private spa for some much-needed relaxation. We do have aliens on our side."

"That won't always save us. Some personal issues won't be resolved without mind-warp. We know what that does to people, don't we?"

"Please don't remind me."

"As you wish."

-

"That isn't the least of our worries. Isabel can take care of herself. We need to worry about Maria."

"What is there to say about that? We've discussed this as a group. You can't always make the decision as a king. Sometimes you need a committee." Liz was testing out her powers for the thousandth time just to check how powerful they were. Max was getting annoyed at seeing the same thing happening over and over again.

"I think your powers will help just the same. You don't want to wear them out. I did that once."

"Thanks for the advice."

"You're pondering too much again."

"Stop me."

"I can't without hurting you."

"You would never hurt me. Anymore."

"I can't afford that. You know that I haven't always been in your good books."

"True, but you have been in them for longer than not. We're getting off subject now." Liz stood up from her kneeling position near the coffee table. "I think that we need to worry about the both of them. They both have their troubles, and they all of us right now. We can't let them just push us away."

"You're right. I just wish that there wasn't so much drama right now. I liked it before Tess had come along and ruined everything we had built up. Sure, we didn't exactly keep our secrets away from everyone, but I know that these people won't tell. Well, Jesse might, but we will get to that when we do."

"What if Jesse tells?"

"I think you know that one. We will be forfeit to the government and the entire world. We will be forced to go back to Antar and live in peace. We will also have to warn all other planets that they cannot come to Earth without getting harmed."

"When you told me you were an alien, I knew that I wasn't going to be able to just live a normal life, no matter how much I wanted to. I also knew that you would have to be protected from the government when they came for us. I never thought that I would wage a secret war with the government when I wanted to help the government before I was saved. Believe me when I say that I wouldn't take any of it back, though."

"I ruined your life. I can't give it back to you. But I don't regret it."

"Neither do I, Max. I can't fathom life with Kyle, no offense to him."

"I had to save him, too. Valenti's face was twisted with horror, and I couldn't live with myself if I didn't save him. Valenti also helped us before. I had to do it."

"I know that you did. That's what I love about you; you care for everyone. You would never hurt anybody without excellent cause."

"But I hurt you."

"Does that matter now? Tess is dead, Alex is back with us, and we have an adopted niece or nephew on the way. I am as happy as I can be, considering the circumstances. Don't worry about that anymore. I hate dwelling on the past."

"I know. We're getting off subject."

"Very funny. We have to go pack."


	7. Chapter 7

Isabel's tears had dried up enough for her to say a nice farewell to Jesse. He gave her an envelope before she ducked into the van, tears threatening to come.

Jesse turned to Alex with fury. "Don't do anything funny."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Alex confirmed, facing forward in the van a considerable distance from Isabel.

The remaining five said their farewells softly before taking their spots in the van they had used before. All eyes were forward as they left the city, and when they had passed the outskirts, conversation grew. They were all contributing to one, and the subject was Maria.

"We can't deal with this. We have too much else on our plate right now," was Kyle's complaint, emanating from the driver's seat.

"We're going to have to. Hopefully, they learned from their mistake," Max reasoned, staring at his sneakers. "We cannot afford a repeat. And we are one down."

"I can help," exclaimed Maria hotly.

"But you're not going to," Michael said, finally being reasonable.

"It would be a blessing in disguise if I had some sort of an accident, wouldn't it, O Mighty King?"

"Stop it, Maria," Liz begged. Her cheeks turned instantly red. "I'm not going to say whether Max would say that or not, but I will say that everyone is right; we cannot afford to have another on our hands. We are fortunate that Alex is here with us, and we will try our hardest to make sure that everyone gets enough to eat. Which means cutting back on the Tabasco sauce." Liz looked at sobbing Isabel with a look of apprehension.

"Great, which means that the humans can't have any sugar," Michael retorted.

"We will only spend our money on the necessary nutrients," Liz responded curtly. "It also can't be perishable; we won't always have a refrigerator."

"Why is everyone against us today?" Michael asked coldly.

"If you wanted us to be against you, we would have joined the FBI already," responded Kyle.

"We should leave off of this subject," sobbed Isabel. "It's been gossiped and discussed too much. Where are we going, Kyle?"

"The airport. I found some masks in here from last time and thought that we could transform them until we could get into safety."

"What will we do with the van?" nobody knew whose voice this was except for the person, and it was a most important question.

"We shall transform it so that it will fit in one of our bags and carry it with us."

"We can't do something that big," Max said.

"We've done it before, Max. It's only a simple molecular structure, assuming there aren't any elements in this van that have any complex structures." Liz was moving into the front passenger seat to guide Kyle, who had been living in New York and by happenstance was in Boston for the weekend and had no idea how to get to the airport. Max looked at the front with jealousy, but said nothing.

"What's our first step?" Maria queried, staring at Max haughtily.

"Take care of ourselves and get settled in before we start making a move. Where are we going, Kyle?"

"Scotland, by random, of course," Kyle said quietly. "I thought we should decide on an English-speaking country."

"Wise move. Let's just hope the bobbies don't have a good connection to American governments," joked Michael, evoking a couple of laughs from a few.

"Alex, you've been quiet this entire time. What's wrong?" Maria laid a hand on Alex's shoulder; Isabel tensed slightly.

"I don't seem to be of much help. Last time there was a war, she committed genocide. I don't know anything about the war that has been happening here." Alex seemed composed even though Maria could see tiny tremors from his shoulders.

"Liz got powers," Isabel began, speaking in a quality tone for the first time in several days. "She soon got the ability to see the future. She saw all of us, the aliens, shot at graduation, so we went and escaped, never to return to Roswell.

"We fought the FBI, and we slowly won. The problem was that it was twenty or more against six. It took us two years to get anyone dead, but after that we soon got the heart to kill and began taking them out one by one.

"But three days ago I had a dream about a list that had names on it. We saw your name on it, and decided to call the Sheriff of Roswell about it. He sent you to us, and then you know the rest of the story. I think that's it in a nutshell."

"Do you trust the Sherriff of Roswell?" Alex asked.

"Valenti got his job back. He's safe. I know you don't know it, but he helped you here."

"I sat in his office and didn't recognize him? It must have been really dark."

"It was late there. Anyway, we'll need you to stay away. Only alien powers can help us at this point. Kyle, you won't be able to help much either."

Max was glad that Isabel was able to take control again, but he didn't agree with Isabel. "We'll need all of the help. Kyle, you should be developing your powers soon enough. After they've calmed down, you can help us. But until then, you'll have to avoid contact with anyone unless absolutely necessary. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Good."

It was silent as Liz directed Kyle to the airport. They snuck into an empty lot near it and Michael transformed it small enough to fit into his suitcase. They walked up to the desk and Kyle ordered seven tickets for the next flight to Scotland after searching through the departure list. The lady, offset slightly by the fact that there were seven people, three with wedding rings, looking tense and wary, checked the baggage they all had and handed Kyle the tickets, who passed them out to everyone. "We have fifteen minutes to get to the terminal before they board.

Due to the size of the airport, it took them most of the time to find their way there and sit. But just as they did, they were to board. Kyle finally revealed that they got First Class tickets (oddly solely to themselves), indicating that they needed something nice before going on this adventure. Everyone turned to Max, who just shrugged and got on the jet walk. He found his seat and sat down, Liz sitting down next to him. They instantly clasped hands. A few seats away, Michael and Maria sat down, and she put her head on his shoulder and began to fall asleep. Kyle and Alex ended up in their own seat adjacent to each other, leaving Isabel to herself.


	8. Chapter 8

The seven ordered their drinks and relaxed against their plush seats before turning outward as the other passengers began to board the plane. The people glanced at them, and the pod squad was glad that they hadn't been televised yet. When everyone was accounted for on the plane, the seven began to float around and talk to each other while drinks and the condiments were served to coach class.

"So, what are we doing next?" asked Kyle, turning in his seat to face Michael, holding his beer can in his hand.

Michael shushed in and indicated the sleeping Maria.

"Sorry. What are we doing next?" Kyle asked, lowering his voice to a bare whisper.

"You are going to pretend to be like a normal human. Us aliens are going to take our significant others and do the same."

"How well do you think that'll work?" Maria asked, without looking up or opening her eyes.

"Great. You woke her up."

"No. I never fell asleep," answered Maria, adjusting her position.

"But she does have a point: We can't take the chance of being separated," Max answered, looking up from a discreet conversation with Liz.

"Next time, ask the king. My ego can't take it," Michael snapped.

"Destroying it is a work in progress," Maria said, turning away from Michael's shoulder.

"Right. Well, next time I have a problem with you, should I also ask him?" Kyle asked, taking a victory sip of his beer.

"Very funny." He smirked before taking a sip from his own soda.

"I thought it was," Maria answered, still trying to get a comfortable spot.

"You're not helping, Maria," Michael answered, snuggling into the window.

"Just returning the favor." She finally decided that she wouldn't get anywhere with sleep, so she sat up and took a sip from Michael's soda. He glared at her, but he didn't want to start another fight, so he just took a sip from the same glass, finishing and ordered some wine for her and some more soda for him.

"We don't need to be drunk when we arrive, do we?" Isabel asked, swigging her own wine obsessively.

"You're one to talk," Alex tested.

Isabel hiccupped angrily before turning to her brother and said quietly, "I was only going to have one. She looked back over to Alex who looked deeply hurt. "I'm sorry, Alex. I'm not thinking."

"Because you're drunk or because I confuse you?"

"Because I'm not used to someone coming back from the dead and confusing me because I'm still in love with him, but I also have a husband."

"So you're still in love with me?" he moved to sit next to her.

"I haven't ever not been since I've met you. Alex, it was the hardest thing to get over your death, but even harder still when I saw Tess again, and now it's not as hard, but it's not a walk in the park to get over either you or Jesse and be with one of you. It's just not the hardest thing to do, but my heart wants to go with you both. I don't want to hurt either of you, but then again I want to be with you, too."

"Isabel, why don't we try to be friends? If something happens from there, then we can reevaluate the situation, okay?"

"Okay," she sniffed. After that, she only sipped her wine, but she still preferred to be alone, and asked for solitude. Alex backed away somewhat dejectedly from her and sat in his seat, asking for an ice water when the attendant came back through.


	9. Chapter 9

Isabel was in dire straits. She couldn't possibly fathom everything that was put before her. She had the love that she lost beyond retrieval. Yet, here he was. He was standing in front of her after she had moved past him and gotten married to a man she loved very, very much. But she had never completely moved past her love for Alex. She had set it in a dark corner of her mind and hoped to never be confronted with it. But it was now back to haunt her in its worst form.

She couldn't think straight all the way to Scotland. She just wanted this war to be over. It burned her alive, and she wished that she could be fully alien so that she wouldn't have to feel all of these emotions at the moment, no matter how rewarding or destructive they had been in the past. She just wanted to get out of her heart and only think with her mind. In fact, the politics of going back to Antar and taking punishment for what Vilandra did would be better than this.

As she got off the plane, she noticed how close Max and Liz, Michael and Maria were. She desperately wanted to do this with Alex. It would have been so much easier. But she vowed as he passed her never to feel anything until she got back to Jesse. Then she could sort things out. Well, she could still feel her love toward her brother, but numb everywhere else.

No bothered to see if she was all right or not as they found their way slowly through the airport. They were in Scotland and safe from the FBI for now. She denied herself a share in the pleasure of being free for the first time in a long time. She drank her coffee hot when her family ordered some. It burnt her tongue, but she just worked on ignoring it. It worked pretty well. Max looked at her for a second wonderingly, but he turned back to the table as they worked out a plan for once they got out of the airport. They were Edinburg and needed to get out of the city. The problem was that they didn't know any of the more rural towns where they could hide a little more easily. They couldn't find a map anywhere and they didn't really want to deal with anyone in case they should recognize them or the FBI knew where they were now. And money was going to be a problem at some point. They had to get somewhere, find jobs, and create new identities before the FBI found out exactly where they were and they'd have to leave the country again. They'd also have to create a plan before that happened. Isabel knew all of this was coming, and she was too exhausted to speak up. Sleep would be her enemy as it would allow her thoughts to travel to emotional thoughts beforehand, keeping her awake.

She stared at a spot on the table at the café as the others talked about what to do. They had all this power, but an airport wasn't exactly the greatest place in which to use their powers.

"Maybe it's better to stay in a large city," sweet, sweet Alex offered. Isabel could almost see everyone's eyes turn darkly, questioningly to his. "I mean, we can blend into the scene if necessary, but also look like we're normal people to the others."

"Alex has a point," Liz pointed out, probably turning to the king himself. "We can start over here. It's easier to hide in a crowd than in someone's home who might betray us."

"Most places have a security camera somewhere. We couldn't just enter any place here," Max reasoned. "It's dangerous enough that we're staying here in the airport.

"Besides, we'll run out of money soon enough. What will we do then?"

"We get jobs. Do anything we can. We make a living here," Maria answered smartly. "We only stay together in a house."

"They have flats here," Alex corrected politely. "I think that's a good idea. But someone's bound to notice six Americans converging in one apartment. I think it's better if we live close but not together."

"No. We live together. It's safer that way. If someone doesn't come home, we go out and look for them," Max interrupted rudely. Isabel wanted to hit him. "We'll stay in the city, make a living, stay in the same apartment, and watch over each other. It worked before. This time we just have to plan exactly what we're going to do about the FBI. I want this to be the last war," Max finalized, as if giving an ultimatum.

Isabel agreed with Max automatically.


	10. Chapter 10

Max knew something was wrong with his sister, but he didn't want to address it. He had to make decisions, no doubt enraging some. It seemed clear to him that he was the ultimate power in a communist party, albeit a small one. He had to go with what the people wanted while also making executive decisions. It always made him the bad guy, and he hated being hated.

Liz gripped his arm tightly, and he though back to the night when she wore that red dress. It was so easy to grasp the memory of a few days ago. It was back when things had been simple for once. It was the simplest life had been since…since he saved Liz. Amazing how one desperate decision can change the lives of everyone in Roswell that mattered, the most important ones now in Scotland on the run from the law because of his decision. But he couldn't take it back; it wouldn't be like him to do that. Death was his other despised companion.

He turned his attention back to Isabel, drinking her scalding hot coffee; she was now making it so. The need to be there for her and ask her what was wrong was suppressed by the thought that now they had to find their way through a major city in a foreign country and start over again.

Everyone was awkwardly waiting for him to make a decision about where to go by not saying anything but giving him desperate glances. He had never been allowed this much power. It dawned on him that everyone was in such an emotional state beyond Alex's return that no one could think straight. They had the FBI against all of them, held at bay a little as they were out of their jurisdiction, but they would come eventually.

And everyone was having their own problems. As for Max, it was for everyone, including himself. He was concerned for Isabel, but Maria was also high on the list. They could hardly make room for Alex, let alone a child. He couldn't ignore her pains from the plane. Kyle was being quiet, which was a little weird. Alex was a little offset ever since he came back, probably because he missed so much and lost Isabel, which put Max on edge with him a little more than usual. Michael wasn't being snippy with him, and that was the worst for Max on many levels. As for Liz, she just seemed to be caught up in this doldrums state like everyone else because of her worries for the things everyone was worried about. Max just wanted everyone to be relieved, but he knew that only time could fix all of this. It annoyed him to not be able to fix this.

"We should go. We've been here a long time," Max commented, staring at the rest of them, seeing if they would get up.

No one stood up, so he just sat there. Everyone heard him, but they just couldn't pick themselves up.

"Let's find a hotel in which to stay the night. Let's rest and reconvene tomorrow and plan." He figured someone would react to the formality, even Liz, but everyone just stayed silent and stared at their cups, save for Isabel, who was still looking at the table. "Let's just go. I know no one here wants to sleep, but we have to."

Slowly everyone stood and ambled toward what they thought was the exit. Maria leaned on Michael and Liz leaned on Max, but no other sign of intimacy was visible. Isabel walked next to her brother, but at a distance. Alex walked a little back and on the other side of Max and Liz and stared at his feet. They all got taxis and decided on a hotel. The taxis caravanned over there, the cabbie occasionally asking a question to which was answered simply and curtly. Everyone paid and gave a little extra tip on accident. They checked into adjacent rooms and sank into the pillows, no one sleeping.

Max held Liz close on the bed as he started to hear what he thought were sobs, but it was too dark to be completely sure. She was definitely shaking, and he wondered how much he was trembling. It wasn't like him to be this weak, but everyone was. It was amazing how easily the feeling came over them, too. They had been weary from running and teary from leaving on the plane, but now it just was worry. He conjectured that it was the fact their mind wasn't taking time to think about their next move that their worries caught up with them to haunt them. Except for Isabel, who had been in her state since Alex's return. That was the problem with peace: too much time to think.

Liz talked for the first time sometime in the middle of the night. "This is too much for everyone. How can we fix it?"

"Time is our friend in this case. We need to stop running from what worries us and face them." He stared at the ceiling, but he grasped her hand and squeezed it tightly. "What's your biggest worry?"

"That we won't make it out of this alive. I mean, the constant worry. If it continues, we might not be able to fight them."

"Or perhaps it'll wake everyone from it. I just wonder how it started. Peace?"

"Maybe. Or timing. Alex is back, which makes Isabel torn because of the decision. We've become a family, so we're all worried for her. Then there's Maria. And Alex is just so off. It's like it's not really Alex, but he has all of his memories from before his death, so it has to be him. The FBI is after us again, and we don't know how long we have. It's all happened at once. It's a lot to take in. But peace relaxes our mind, so we can brood over it."

"I knew you were smart, Liz," he cooed lovingly. It was bitterly weird on his tongue, given the air. He almost wished he hadn't said it. She didn't answer, which made it more awkward for him.

"What if we don't have time to solve these problems or they come up on us all at once?"

"The FBI problem will be solved if we don't have time, making it a little easier on us. Then Iz can go back to Jesse, making it less confusing for her. In nine months Maria's problem will be solved one way or another. And they've already come to haunt us. We have no choice but to face this. The only weapon we have is each other. I think that as long as we have the seven of us, we'll be okay."

"It was easier when it was six."


	11. Chapter 11

"I just want this all to be over." Maria was pacing the floor of the room in the dark. Michael was desperately trying to get some sleep, but Maria's rambling kept him awake. "I just want to push this kid out of my system, I want Isabel to be happy, and I want everyone to be happy again." She turned around again, now facing the window.

"Everyone does. Come to bed."

"I can't possibly sleep, Michael." She paced more furiously. She, like everyone else, wanted this to end. But she figured that it couldn't possibly end pretty for one person. It was always that way. Even if they all survived, Isabel's decision could hurt Alex or Jesse. Or if along the way she decided to give up the baby like Max did to Zan, both she and Michael would feel the pain. It was a very bad time to be human or alien. She put her hand on her stomach.

"What do you want to talk about?" She watched him sit up and rub his eyes.

"What do want to do with this child, Michael? Do you really think that we could be good parents, even if we weren't in this situation?"

"We barely make a good couple, but we manage."

Maria bit her lip before sinking into the very edge of the bed at the foot. Michael gently pulled her back and she fell into his lap. "I wish that could be enough for a kid." She bit her lip harder, but not hard enough to bit through it.

"I'm just trying to be positive." She couldn't argue with his defensive tone. She didn't want to. She could only think about decisions.

"Could we make the wrong decision?"

"About what?"

"This child. Any decision?" She knew he was avoiding the question at any cost. He was part alien and the most of all three, but she needed to know that he was on the same page as her. It was a test to see if he could be human, just like her.

"I could. But you couldn't." He was alien, through and through. He could admit it, too. She adjusted to purse her lips to keep tears away. It worked, but it broke her voice.

"What did we do?" she whispered.

"Don't think about it. Just sleep."

"I can't." She stood up again and heard him sigh. He lay back against the pillows angrily, exasperatedly. She didn't want this pain, so much of it, to break them apart when they needed each other at this very moment. She knew they shouldn't have worked. But after working once, they couldn't separate for either world. It was weirder than dating an alien how they worked, and neither one thought about how it did, until now. Maria stared at him with a disgusted look on her face and wondered exactly what kept them together.

But there was no conclusion. From where exactly did their feelings emanate? Until they knew, they were stuck doing this dance, just loving with all of their human hearts for no reason.

"What else is bugging you?" he stayed still as he asked, but it was sincere to her ears.

"Alex. I just don't want to see him going through this pain. But we can't get rid of him because we're all he has now. We're the only ones that know he's alive and the only ones that can. As much as I love Alex, it would have been better for him to stay dead." Michael didn't respond, and Maria was grateful he didn't. It was too hard for her to say it, but she knew that it was true. Everyone had moved forward and left him in the past. Now that he was their present and future, everyone had to recreate their lives around him just because they were the only ones that believed in the supernatural and thus his reincarnation. Maria had a feeling that Alex knew this and might try to do something about it. That made her heart heavy, too. "We're all stuck in a present that is hard to manage because of our past." She crossed over to the window and stared out. It was getting dark. Dawn must soon be upon them.

"It's always been this way. Our past carves out our future. It's like that for all humankind. It's just a little more drastic for us because of the secret. The events from the past come back to threaten our lives."

"I know. That's why we can't ever have total peace. Someone will always be after us. We aren't worth it."

"But we are to each other. The rest of the world could care less about a few people living on the fringes of life. It's like when you thought about killing Alex and you couldn't. We need each other, but we don't belong in this world."

"We're all aliens."


End file.
